A Community on Ecosystem Services (ACES)

Ecosystem services are the benefits provided by the natural environment that are of value to people such as provisioning services (e.g., water quality and quantity), regulating services (e.g., climate and flood protection), cultural services (e.g., recreation), and supporting services (e.g., nutrient cycling). Ecosystem service quantification and valuation can help identify service tradeoffs given alternative management actions, and address the growing demand for more sophisticated analysis of the integrated social, economic, and environmental consequences of biophysical land management decisions. In October 2015 President Obama released policy guidance directing Federal agencies to begin incorporating ecosystem services in Federal planning and decision-making.

Methodology for Addressing the Issue
The USGS has been directly involved with the development of the use of an ecosystem services framework for research and decision support. One part of this effort is the development and leadership of the international ACES (ACommunity on Ecosystem Services) conferences. The ACES conferences bring together a dynamic and growing assembly of professionals, researchers, and policymakers involved with ecosystem services, and provide a forum to share experiences, methods, and tools for assessing and incorporating ecosystem services science and practice in conservation, restoration, resource management, and development decisions. Dianna Hogan currently serves as the ACES 2016 Planning Committee Chair.